Through Sept. 6, Springfield City Library staff will be at the center at 91 School St. from 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays to facilitate library card registration.
SPRINGFIELD - Springfield Public Schools and the Springfield City Library have joined forces to get more books into the hands of the city's children.
In an effort to increase the number of families using the city's library facilities and resources, space has been made available at the recently opened Parent and Community Engagement Center at 91 School St. to register parents, students and other family members for library cards.
"At this time of the year, hundreds of parents come to the Parent Information Center to register their children for school. The documentation they bring is the same documentation needed to secure a library card, so it only made sense to provide the opportunity to do both at the same time," said Patricia Spradley, chief of parent and community engagement for the schools.
The information center is located at the Parent and Community Engagement Center.
Through Sept. 6, Springfield City Library staff will be at the center between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays to facilitate library card registration. In addition to providing library cards, staff will also distribute books and book bags.
"We are thrilled to be involved in this community outreach partnership," said Jean Canosa Albano, the library's public services manager. "This type of cooperation between organizations creates a true win-win situation for everybody."
Other community organizations participating in the effort are Links to Libraries, which donated many of the books that will be given out; READ! Reading Success by 4th Grade, an initiative of Cherish Every Child, which provided the book bags; and Springfield Parent Academy.